Hongwanji Mission School Grade 4 Room 12

HMS Grade School Grade 4-12 - Mr. Randy Castello

Aloha and welcome to 4th Grade!

My name is Mr. Randy Castello.  While not new to the profession, ( I have been teaching for ten years), I am new to Hongwanji Mission School. This year, I will be presenting the lessons in Language Arts and Science to all of the 4th graders.

One afternoon, as I was paddling my kayak out in Maunalua Bay, I looked back towards land and I was reminded of just how beautiful it all was. The hills were still green due to the unusually abundant summer rain. The winds blew mists over the highest peaks and there was even a rainbow from time to time. In between the showers, the sun lit the ocean and made it sparkle.  I was far enough away from shore so that the only sound to be heard came from the crashing waves near the reef. It was here that I was inspired to choose a theme for teaching these two lessons - language arts and science.  The theme has to do with looking OUT into the world and then looking WITHIN ourselves.

In spite of all the depressing news of the past weeks that makes the world seem dark and fills people with despair, the physical world we live in is truly a wonderful and beautiful and amazing place. Yes, it is also fragile!  We will examine eco systems and forms of life, the science of the earth itself – the rock cycle and volcanoes and finally, matter and energy.

As we look into the human spirit through the expression of language, we will read stories of courage and hope, adventure and compassion.  Learning how to use words and increasing our vocabulary will help us accurately portray our own reflections as we experience the world around us.

When we come to the end of 4th grade, It is my goal that we can look out and into the world and say and think – AWESOME!

Blessings on the year!
Randy Castello